Railing structure



Sept. 21, 1965 1. TALMAGE ETAL 3,207,479

RAILING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l IF '4 E- .Z

o INVENTORS GIFF-OP/J A 724M4 5 5 2 11 5;..2 Ls-olv l a Yoez iff/ Sept. 21, 1965 a. l. TALMAGE ETAL 3,207,479

RAILING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 1, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aim m m S United States Patent G Okla.

Filed Nov. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 149,408 1 Claim. (Cl. 256-65) This invention relates, as indicated, to an improved railing structure, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an improved ornamental hand rail structure.

As it is well known in the art, many ofiice and public buildings utilize hand rails positioned along the edge of a balcony or the like or positioned along steps. As it is also well known, such hand rails are normally installed after the building structure is substantially completed and the hand rails must be more or less installed on a custom basis to conform to the existing building structure. The hand rails are supported by connectors extending either from a building wall or by connectors which are secured on posts suitably supported along the length of the hand rail. In either type of construction, the angle of the hand rail to the horizontal normally varies along the length of the rail, such that a perfectly straight hand rail cannot be utilized in the majority of hand rail installations. Also, particularly when the hand rail is to be supported on a series of posts extending upwardly from steps, the distances between adjacent posts will invariably be different along the length of the hand rail which makes it highly desirable to be able to connect the hand rail to a post at any point along the length of the rail. Finally, it will be apparent that a hand rail must have substantial strength in order to serve the intended purpose, and yet the hand rail must be attractive and not detract from the appearance of the building structure.

At the present state of the art, it is rather common practice to utilize a hand rail in the form of an extruded metal section, such as extruded aluminum, to provide a neat and attractive rail. Heretofore, however, the extruded rails have required the use of complicated and expensive connectors extending from building walls or posts in order to support the rail at any desired point along its length while providing the necessary strength and rigidity in the connection. Most prior rail constructions utilizing extruded rail sections require that the rail be secured at a predetermined angle with respect to the connector supporting the rail. In those prior rail structures wherein the rail can be disposed at various angles to the horizontal, substantial precision machine work must be provided either on the connectors or on the rails, or both, which unduly increases the cost of the installation and requires substantial skill in erecting the rail structure.

The present invention contemplates a novel railing structure utilizing an extruded metal rail requiring the use of a minimum of metal and yet providing the necessary strength in the over-all rail. The extruded metal rail is provided with an opening along its bottom and outwardly extending flanges on opposite sides of the open bottom for eificiently and conveniently receiving a connector having cooperating flanges. The rail is rigidly secured to the connector at any desired point along the length of the rail by means of a simple wedge inserted between the connector and the rail and easily moved into operating position by a pair of screws extending upward- 1y through the connector. It should also be noted that the connector is supported on a bracket extending either from a post or from a building wall in such a manner that the connector can be positioned at any desired angle to the horizontal to control the direction of extension of the rail. The present invention also contemplates a novel Patented Sept. 21, 1965 'ice splice construction utilizing dowel pins or rods wedged into cooperating grooves in adjacent ends of a pair of rail sections, whereby the rail sections are rigidly interconnected without the use of screws or any other type of conectors which would detract from the appearance of the railing structure.

An important object of this invention is to provide a railing structure which can be installed on an existing building structure in a minimum of time and with a minimum of tools.

Another object of this invention is to provide a railing structure wherein the rail may be extended at any desired angle to the horizontal as the rail is being installed, such that the rail can be adapted to substantially any building structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail section and a connector which can be rigidly secured to the rail section at any point along the length of the rail section without protruding bolts or the like, and without the necessity of precision machine work on either the rail section or the connector.

A further object of this invention is to provide a railing structure utilizing a novel splice wherein adjacent rail sections may be easily and efficiently interconnected in the field without the use of any threaded type connectors.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel bracket and connector construction for a hand rail which can be easily supported either from a vertically extending post or from a building wall for rigidly supporting the rail while allowing the maximum adjustment in the position of the rail during installation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a railing structure having no exposed screws or other threaded type connectors or fasteners; a railing structure which is structurally strong yet simple and economical to manufacture and which will have a long service life.

Other Objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a typical railing structure constructed in accordance with this invention with the rails extending horizontally along a balcony or the like and then upwardly along steps.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view that is taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view that is taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the connection of the preferred bracket to a wall section.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly FIGURE 1, reference character 20 generally designates a typical railing structure constructed in accordance with this invention, which generally comprises upper and lower rails 22 supported by posts 24 in parallel relation along a balcony or the like 26 and upwardly along steps 28. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, any desired number of rails 22 may be used, although the normal railing installation will utilize only one or two of the rails since they are used as hand rails or guards for people.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, each rail 22 comprises a hollow extruded metal section formed out of any desired metal, but preferably an aluminum alloy. The rail 22 has a top wall 30 illustrated as being of a convex configuration but which may take any desired configuration, such as concave or the like. The side walls 32 of the rail 22 are relatively short and the bottom wall of the rail is formed in two sections 34 which extend generally downwardly and inwardly from the respective side walls 32 and terminate short of one another to provide an opening or slot 36 extending along the bottom of the rail throughout the length of the rail. A downwardly and outwardly extending flange 38 is formed on the inner end of each bottom wall section 34 at the respective side of the slot 36. Each rail flange 38 has an external rib 40 on the lower end thereof extending the length of the rail, as well as an external groove 42 formed above the respective rib 40 to facilitate the support of the rail 22 at any desired point along the length of the rail. Each rail 22 also has a pair of dowel pin grooves 44 formed therein to facilitate the slicing of the rails and the attachment of end caps to the rails, as will be described. Each groove 44 is formed in the rail 22 in such a manner that the side walls 46 thereof are deformable to increase the size of the respective groove when a dowel pin is wedged therein, as will also be described. In a preferred embodiment, each groove 44 is formed on the are of a circle, in cross section, and extends through an arc of between 180 degrees and 360 degrees. It will also be understood that the grooves 44 extend throughout the length of the rail 22.

Each rail 22 is supported from each of the posts 24 by means of a novel bracket 48 connected to the post and a novel connector 50 secured to the bottom of the respective rail 22. Each bracket 48 comprises a tubular body member 52 formed of aluminum or the like having a flat inner end 54 for upbutting the respective side of the post 24. The bore 56 through the tubular body 52 is reduced in diameter at 58 to provide an outwardly facing shoulder 60 adjacent the inner end 54 of the body. The reduced diameter portion 58 of the bore is of a size to slidingly receive a mating bolt 62 which is of a length to extend through an aperture 64 in the post 24 when the head 66 of the bolt is placed against the shoulder 60. It will be apparent that when a suitable nut 68 is threaded on the bolt 62 inside of the post 24, the inner end 54 of the body 52 will be held securely against the outer face of the post 24 to adequately support the bracket 48. It will also be apparent that since the post 24 is extending vertically, the tubular body 52 of the bracket 48 will be extended horizontally.

The outer end portion 70 of the bore 56 of the body 52 is threaded to receive a bolt 72 which is held in the desired position by a suitable set screw 74 threaded through the side of the body 52. The head 76 of the bolt 72 is preferably cylindrical in configuration to provide an attractive appearance and is provided with diametrically opposed bores 78 to receive a suitable spanner Wrench (not shown) used in tightening and loosening the bolt. The bolt 72, in cooperation with the outer end 80 of the tubular body 52, functions to support the connector 50 in a fixed position at any desired angle to the horizontal.

The connector 50 comprises a generally T-shaped member having a vertical web 82 and a horizontal web 84 at the upper end of the vertical web. An aperture 86 is formed transversely through the vertical web 82 to receive the bolt 72 (FIGURE 3) such that the bolt head 76 grips the vertical web 82 between the head and the end 80 of the bracket 48 when the bolt 72 is tightened in the body 52. It will also be apparent that the connector 50 may be turned at any desired angle to the horizontal prior to the tightening of the bolt 72 to position the connector 50. An upwardly and inwardly extending flange 88 is formed on each side edge of the horizontal web 84 of the connector and is provided with an internal rib 90 on the upper end thereof, along with an internal groove 92 directly below the respective rib 90. It will be understood that the ribs 90 andgrooves 92 extend throughout the length of the connector 50.

As illustrated in FIGURE 3, the flanges 88 of the connector 50 are spaced apart a suflicient distance with respect to the flanges 38 of the rail 22 that the ribs 90 on the connector may be snapped over the ribs 40 of the rail 22 into the grooves 42 of the rail by hand pressure. The rail 22 will then be slidingly connected to the connector 50 for lengthwise adjustment of the rail 22 to the desired position. The flanges 38 of the rail 22 are urged outwardly into tight engagement with the flanges 88 of the connector, with the maitng ribs and grooves being in engagement, by means of a wedge 94. Wedge 94 has a length corresponding to the length of the connector 50, and the opposite sides 96 thereof are tapered upwardly and inwardly to mate with the inner tapered surfaces 98 of the rail flanges 38. The wedge 94 may be easily inserted lengthwise through the slot 36 in the normal, expanded positions of the flanges 38 and is then wedged upwardly against the surfaces 98 by a pair of suitable screws 100 threaded through the top web 84 of the connector 50. The screws 100 are preferably Allen type screws such that no heads protrude from, the connector 50 to detract from the appearance of the installation. When the wedge 94 is moved upwardly, it forces the rail flanges 38'outwardly to tightly engage the ribs 90 and 40 in the mating grooves 42 and 92 for rigidly connecting the rail 22 to the connector 50.

In the event either one of the rails 22 must be supported from a wall rather than a post 24, we support the connector 48 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4. In this type of installation, a bore is drilled through the wall 172 to slidingly receive an elongated bolt 174. The bolt 174 is inserted through the inner end 54 of the bracket 48 and extended through the bore 170 in the wall 172, as well as through suitable decorative plates 176 placed on the opposite sides of the wall. When a nut 178 is threaded on to the inner end of the bolt 174, the inner end 54 of the bracket 48 is held rigidly against the adjacent plate 176 to rigidly support the bracket 48 in a horizontal position. The respective connector 50 is then secured on the bracket 48 in the same manner as described in connection with FIGURE 3 to support the rail 22 at the desired angle .to the horizontal.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present railing structure may be easily installed in the field in a minimum of time and with a minimum of tools. The rails 22 may be extended at any desired angle with respect to the horizontal by merely adjusting the angle of the connectors 50 prior to anchoring the connectors to the brackets 48. Also, the rails 22 may be adjusted lengthwise with respect to the connectors 50 to accommodate variations in the spacing between the posts 24 prior to the insertion of the wedges 94 and the rigid clamping of the rail 22 to the various connectors 50. When a rail 22 is rigidly clamped to the connectors '50 and the covers 102 are placed along the bottom of the rail, the rail has no protruding bolts or fasteners to detract from its appearance.

It will also be apparent that the rails 22 may be spliced whenever desired without interrupting the continuous appearance of the rails along the length thereof. Changes in the horizontal angle of adjacent sections of the rail 22 are easily accomplished in the field by merely cutting the adjacent ends of the rail section to where they will mate flush and then securing these ends together by simple dowel pins inserted in the dowel pin grooves 44 of the adjacent rail sections.

The brackets 48 can be easily installed in a wall 172 or in the side of the post 24 and no unsightly fasteners will be exposed to mar the appearance of the installation.

Changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts or elements as heretofore set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in the embodiment disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A railing structure, comprising:

'a plurality of supports;

a rail extending between the supports, said rail comprising an extruded hollow section having a top and a bottom and formed with a slot extending along the length of the bottom thereof, a downwardly and outwardly extending flange at each side of the slot extending along the length of the rail, each of said flanges having an external rib on the lower end thereof extending the length of the rail and an external groove therein extending the length of the rail above the respective rib;

connector extending from each support into engagement with said ribs and grooves for rigidly supporting the rail at spaced points along its length, each connector including a generally T-shaped member having a top web and a vertical web, a flange extending upwardly and inwardly from each side edge of the top web, each of said connector flanges having an internal rib extending along the upper end thereof, and an internal groove below the respective rib sized and positioned to slidingly mate with the corresponding ribs and grooves in the rail flanges; and

means for Wedging the cooperating ribs and grooves together, comprising a Wedge positioned between the rail flanges at each connector having upwardly and inwardly tapered sides, and screws threaded through the top web of each connector into contact with the respective wedge for forcing the rail flanges outwardly against the connector flanges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Soderberg 248-65 Krueger 28754 Cremens 256-21 Schilling 256-21 Michaels 256-21 Schooler 189-34 Blum 256-65 Blum 256-65 Dotson 256-21 Dotson 256-21 Hammitt et al7 189-34 Blum 256-65 Meyers 256-65 Crannel1 256-65 Blum 256 5 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

JOEL REZNEK, Examiner. 

